mosquitoes in Tuscany

Yes, there are absolutely mosquitos in Italy, but there is also bug spray. We got absolutely tore up by sand flies on our last trip to Tuscany, but I'd do it all again.
April would be much better, not fully warmed up yet. I'd have no qualms about April, especially since you will mostly be wearing long sleeves.

We were on the Village Italy tour this last late Sept, early Oct. Yes, there were mosquitoes. Most of the hotel rooms had mosquito repellers that you plug in an electrical outlet and I had brought a bunch of packets of Off wipes but not many of the hotels have screens. Mosquito repellant did work or go in the spring before it gets warm if she is highly reactive to them.

I took my Mother on a bucket trip to Florence before she passed. Her Travel agent booked it and we stayed just over the river from the old town. The mosquitos kept me up all night buzzing in my face. I'm more attractive to them, she slept through it. No screens and didn't know enough to bring bug repellent.

Can't speak to September but visited Florence in mid-May 2019 and stayed at a hotel near the Arno that was recommended. The housekeeper who cleaned the room before I arrived left the window open and I battled them for 4 nights. It was disgusting and yes they did bite me. They gave me something to plug in which helped but not very much. I dreaded taking a shower. I will never, ever stay near water again in that region.

On our previous trips to Italy, we have never been bothered by mozzies (or any other bugs), but in my recent research for our September visit to Puglia, I've come across more than a few warnings about (and hotel reviews complaining about) mosquitos, in a few locations. Enough that I'm taking it seriously.

I always travel with long sleeves (to minimize radiation exposure) but this time we will also be taking along some surprisingly effective peppermint repellent we got in southern Japan (and the DEET we get from REI in case that's not effective), and other counter-measures we typically only break out for serious tropical jungle experiences. Most of those things are simple and light enough, so no biggie. Still, I am contemplating bringing the Mosquitero (netting for the bed) in one location that sounds particularly prone to mosquitos. I recall one night in a hotel deep in some jungle, a local referring to the net over our bed (in Spanish) as a "heavenly blanket."  He was right about that.

I doubt the mozzies we will encounter on our upcoming Italy trip will really compare to deep jungle bugs, but I'm not going to scoff at the idea entirely.

I’m also highly reactive to mosquitoes, and so of course they love me. I have spent time in Florence and elsewhere in Tuscany across several Septembers and have always had to deal with mosquitoes so I do this:

• bring Natrapel picaridin repellent wipes to use when I’m out and about.
• Bring hydrocortisone cream with me
• Buy AfterBite (“Dopopuntura”) at a pharmacy when I get there
• book hotels with air conditioning
• attach a note to the window for housekeeping “Sono allergica alle zanzare, per favore lasciate chiuse le finestre, grazie” so that they don’t “air out the room” when cleaning it.

Good luck!

Edited to add: I don’t use the vaporizer plug-in repellent (Vape) available widely in Italy because I read in the fine print not to operate them for prolonged periods in closed environments (like windows closed). If you do, you are supposed to air out the room before occupying it (defeating the purpose!). So I guess Italians use them in conjunction with open windows. (?)

One — and only one — apartment I stayed in in Tuscany had window screens. Heaven.

My daughter had issues in Florence in student housing with mosquitoes in starting January (which was mind - blowing ) to me That said, we had no issues in our hotel in Late March/earlyApril in Florence but met a couple in Venice whose young boys were completely torn up by them. Welts.

My daughter started using lavender (which worked)to repel, if not I was going to purchase a net for sleeping. Wasn't an issue during the day -- though she was at class.

Italians have not yet invented the window screen. There are lots of mosquitos. The plug in things don't work and the bug repellents available don't work either. Take a good heavy duty deet repellent. I carry those individual towelettes you can get at camping stores and have one in my back pocket, so when it gets to be dusk and the mosquitos gather, I am prepared. Sometimes it is fine -- we were in Florence this last fall in late September and didn't have the problem. when we were there May-June a few years ago we had a mosquito net in the apartment and even then needed good repellent. So take some good repellent and hope you luck out.

If you’re planning a trip to Italy, you might be wondering if there’s a mosquito season to be aware of. The answer is yes, there is a mosquito season in Italy. Mosquitoes are most active during the warmer months, specifically from late spring to early fall. This is when the weather is warmer and more humid, creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive. Therefore, if you’re traveling to Italy during these months, it’s important to take precautions to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

During the mosquito season in Italy, you’ll find these pesky insects in both urban and rural areas. They are most commonly found in areas with standing water, such as lakes, ponds, and marshes. However, they can also be present in urban areas, especially during the evening and early morning hours. It’s important to take measures to prevent mosquito bites, such as using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and using mosquito nets while sleeping.